{{short description|Type of extended shears for pruning distant branches}} {{Update|date=September 2023}} thumb|Selection of averruncators from 1560, Rustkammer museum, Dresden thumb|200px|Fig.1 shows the handle and head of an averruncator. Fig. 2 shows the head in use.
An '''averruncator''' or '''pole pruner''' (American English) is a form of long shears used in arboriculture for averruncating or pruning off the higher branches of trees, etc.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanecki |first=Kay N. |url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL8282138M/Old_Garden_Tools |title=Old Garden Tools |publisher=Shire Publications |year=1987 |edition=2nd |location=Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom |pages=15 |access-date=2022-05-08 |url-access=registration |via=OpenLibrary}}<!--text includes an alternative image of the tool.--></ref>
==Etymology== The word averruncate (from Latin ''averruncare'', "to ward off, remove mischief") glided into meaning to weed the ground, prune vines, etc., by a supposed derivation from the Lat. ''ab'', "off", and ''eruncare'', "to weed out", and it was spelt aberuncate to suit this; but the ''New English Dictionary'' regarded such a derivation as impossible.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
==Description== An averruncator has a compound blade attached to a handle between five and eight feet long. The blades are closed with a rope and pulley, and they are opened with a spring.
==Types== There are at least three varieties of this tool, depending on how force is transmitted to the blades or the blade shape: shear-action, pully-action and parrot-bill.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rose |first=Graham |url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL9882100M/The_Traditional_Garden_Book |title=The Traditional Garden Book |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |year=1993 |isbn=0-7513-0093-4 |edition=1st |location=London |pages=68 |type=Paperback |access-date=2022-05-08 |url-access=registration |via=OpenLibrary}}<!--text includes an imagea of the each type.--></ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What are the Most Common Gardening Tools? |url=https://handygardeners.com/blog/six-gardening-tools-you-will-need-next-summer.html |access-date=2023-09-21 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} * {{EB1911|wstitle=Averruncator|volume=3|page=59}}
== External links == * {{Wiktionary inline|averruncator}}
{{Garden tools}}
Category:Cutting tools Category:Gardening tools